Usain Bolt Pulls Up In Final Track Race, Great Britain Wins 4x100m Gold

Photo: Getty Images for IAAF

Usain Bolt Pulls Up In Final Track Race, Great Britain Wins 4x100m Gold

Aug 12, 2017

Taylor Dutch

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In his final race on the track, 11-time world champion Usain Bolt pulled up with injury and was unable to earn his last gold medal as the anchor leg for Team Jamaica's 4x100m relay. Bolt received the baton and made it halfway down the homestretch when he suddenly stopped and started limping in pain Saturday at the IAAF World Championships in London.

Bolt stumbled while favoring his left leg and quickly fell to the ground in tears as medics and his Jamaican teammates rushed to his side. Eventually, his teammates--Omar McLeod, Julian Forte, and Yohan Blake helped him walk across the finish line, effectively ending his illustrious track career.

The shocking turn of events was the latest in a series of surprising performances. Earlier in the week, Bolt was beaten by Americans Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman in the 100m final. At 30-years-old, Bolt ends his track career with eight Olympic gold medals, 11 world championship titles, two world championship silver medals, and one world championship bronze medal.

As Bolt fell, Great Britain stormed the track to win 4x100m gold and Team USA trailed behind for silver. Closed by anchor leg Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake, Great Britain beat the United States with a world-leading time of 37.47. The Team USA contingent of Mike Rodgers, Gatlin, Jaylen Bacon, and Coleman closed in 37.52 while Japan earned bronze with a season's best of 38.04. Great Britain's performance broke the European and national record.

As the IAAF pointed out, Great Britain's upset victory over Team USA marks the first time since 2004 that the British earned global championship gold. The British 4x100m won at the 2004 Olympic Games with a standout anchor leg from Mark Lewis-Smith who held off Team USA's Maurice Greene.

The Americans also fell short of gold last year at the 2016 Olympic Games when they were disqualified.

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